Scenographia Compagis Mvndanæ Brahea

Andreas Cellarius (1596-1665)
Plate 7 – Scenographia Compagis Mvndanæ Brahea
From: Atlas Coelestis seu Harmonia Macrocosmica
Amsterdam: Schenk and Valk, 1708
Hand-colored copperplate engraving

36 1/2” x 32" framed

Cellarius attempts to portray the world system of Tycho Brahe in this plate. Although there is an error in the reference to Brahe’s system, it results in a visually interesting print.

In Brahe’s system, the Moon and the Sun orbit the Earth, but the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn orbit the Sun rather than the Earth. The plate depicts this theory incorrectly, only displaying Mercury and Venus as orbiting the Sun.

Although the plate incorrectly displays the planetary system of Brahe, it is enjoyable to see, as it holds onto this idea of Earth being the center of the world system. Visually the mistake allows for a nice break of pattern between the left and right side and offers several interesting intersections between orbital lines. 

A female figure in the bottom left hand corner “appears to be an allegorical figure representing Wisdom, instructing her pupils.” There is another figure in the bottom right holding a mariner’s astrolabe, with a staff on top of a celestial globe. “She appears to represent Urania, the muse of Astronomy.”

“The similarity in design of this plate and plate 2 (Ptolemaic system), and Plate 17 (Apparent Annual and Daily Path of the Sun) suggests all 3 were engraved by the same unnamed craftsman.”